The present invention relates to insulating exterior panels for buildings, and, in particular, to an improved reinforced panel and improved panel attachment arrangement.
Polystyrene exterior construction panels are commonly attached to a substrate or exterior surface of a building by means of adhesive. Mechanical retainers, such as bolts and screws, have been avoided where the panels actually form a structural element of the building because the panel flanges are typically too weak to retain them, especially if gun-shot through the panel into a concrete substrate. Merely employing a washer about a bolt fastener has been unsuccessful because the washers are exposed to air and "ghost" with respect to the panel as dirt collects at the washer-panel crevice. However, adhesive attachment methods require proper application by a skilled worker and are only available within a limited range of environmental conditions and a limited panel size. Also, such panels are not easily removable for replacement. Such attachment also provides no reinforcement to strengthen the polystyrene panels or to help prevent warping. Therefore, larger foam panels, which would simplify assembly and reduce construction time, cannot be used due to their inherent flexibility.
Other exterior construction panels have provided for attachment of a back bar adjacent or pressed into the polystyrene. However, such back bars are typically secured to the substrate by bolts or screws extending through to the interior surface of the substrate. It is usually desired for exterior panels to be affixed directly to exterior walls without having to coordinate attachment on the building interior in order to simplify the assembly process. Also, bolts and screws extending to the building interior provide undesirable thermal conductivity paths through the substrate and panel. Further, typical back bar arrangements will not support the panels straight off the wall nor sufficiently resist strong winds, and replacement requires removal of the entire bolted assembly from the substrate.
Another panel arrangement has employed a U-shaped channel bracket having teeth pressed into the face of an insulating panel. This panel is attached to the building wall by separate L-shaped fasteners extending from the face of the panel down to the wall surface. Typically, the panel arrangement and fasteners are then covered with another layer which actually serves as the exterior face. Without such an extra covering over the entire panel arrangement, these brackets would provide paths of thermal conductivity which significantly reduce the insulating effect of the panels.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved insulating building panel.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a method of securing an insulating panel to a building exterior without creating excessive thermal conductivity paths through the panel to the building wall.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a simplified means of attaching structural building panels to wall surfaces.
Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an arrangement for increasing rigidity and structural integrity of exterior building panels.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a readily replaceable building panel having decreased production costs and installation time.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved through an insulating foam building panel having a channel extending across its back surface with a rigidifying element inserted therein. A fastener is attached to the substrate wall surface, and the rigidifying element is slidably received onto each side of that fastener. When the panels are properly positioned, the fastener is tightened to the wall to fixedly secure the panels to the building exterior. The channel is preferably formed with flanged grooves to retain complementary flanges on the rigidifying element.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.